Church of Our Lady of the Pillar, Valletta

Valletta is full of Baroque! The whole islands of Malta and Gozo are punctuated by massive Baroque churches with domes all trying to outdo each other in their communion with the heavens.  My first post about Malta is not going to be about the great churches like St John's Pro Cathedral in Valletta ; instead a small church in one of the side streets. I came across it early one morning before 8.00. Its quiet atmosphere with local people in prayer was deeply moving. Malta is full of such churches and is strongly Catholic. If I think of Valletta I flash back to that morning - quiet and sunny, nestling in the centre of the Mediterranean.

The Church of Our Lady of the Pillar was financed by the Aragonese Kights of St John and built in the 1670s; damaged in the earthquake of 1693 and remodelled by Ramano Carapecchia. The main painting, depicting Our Lady appearing to St James is by Stefano Erardi. The ceiling was painted by Gian Nikola Buhagiar and depicts the coronation of Our Lady.